Aerial torpedo.



J. M. SALADINER.

AERIAL TORPEDO.

J. M. SALADINER.

AERIAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I1. 1915.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

2 SHEETSWSHEET 2.

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JOSEPH M. SALADINR, OF BRYAN, TEXAS.

AERIAL TORPED O.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 31, 1915,

Application filed April 17, 1915. Serial N o. 22,071.

T0 al? whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. SALADINER, citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bryan, in the co-unty of Brazos and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aerial torpedoes, and has particular reference to a device for carrying bombs through the air, and automatically dropping the same at predetermined points, witho-ut the aid of the hand of man, or aid of cannon, upon or in proX- imity to objects to be damaged or destroyed.

The invention is designed primarily for use in warfare, and its object is to carry eX- plosives or bombs over an enemys position and automatically drop the same thereon for destructive purposes.

The invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of the device as will be hereinafter described, illustrated in the drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows my aerial torpedo, loaded'with bombs, in side elevation; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the carriage, the superimposed gas holder removed, showing the relative arrangement of the several parts thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of one of the bomb holding tubes, taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 4, showing a bomb held in position therein, and means for automatically releasing the same; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4 4, Fig. 3, showing a bomb, bomb holding, and bomb releasing mechanism; Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, broken away,.of the bomb holding tube, showing the neck of a bomb in postion, mechanism for holding the same therein, and mechanism for automatically releasing said bomb, and Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of one 0f the bomb holding tubes showing the horizontal stepped partition therein, and the manner of hinging and locking the two tube sections together.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a generally cigar-shaped gas holder made of any suitable material, preferably rubber, and has extending longitudinally therethrough a rod or shaft 2, the ends thereof projecting through the ends of said gas-holder, as shown in Fig. 1, the ends of said gas holder being so secured to said shaft 2 as to be air-tight. Surrounding the gasholder 1 is a suitable netting 3, adapted to limit the distension of the holder, under pressure, beyond a predetermined extent, and to maintain its shape. This netting is secured at its forward end in a fixed clamp 4, rigidly secured to said shaft 2 just in front of the forward end of the gas holder, and the rear end thereof in a suitable clamp 5 slidably mounted on the rear projecting end of said shaft 2, and may be loosened or tightened by means of the screw at the end of said shaft, as is evident.

The 'numeral 7 indicates a suitable carriage located beneath the gas-holder, and secured to the ends of the shaft 2 by means of the hangers 8 and 9, as shown in Fig. 1. Located in this carriage in any desired position, is a boX or compartment 10 in which the motive power for running the device is located, and 11 indicates the driving shaft having at the outer end thereof the propeller 12. Secured on the shaft 11, between the propeller and the boX 10, is a suitable worm 13, for a purpose hereinafter stated.

Secured to the sides of the carriage 7 are suitable tubes 14, 14, the front ends thereof being secured to the forward ends of said carriage, and their rear ends in lugs or brackets 15, 15, at the rear end of .said carriage, as shown. Each of these tubes 14 is made up of two semi-cylindrical sections 16 and 17 which are hinged together so that access to the interior thereof, may be easily and quickly had, and when closed, are securely locked together by means of the latches 18, as is evident. The forward ends of these tubes 14, 14, are slotted, and provided on each side of each slot with upstanding ears 19, 19, in which are mounted the reels 20, 20, as shown.

21, 2l, indicate means, preferably leafsprings, bearing on said reels, for retarding the rotation thereof when in use. The lower semi-cylindrical portion 17 of these tubes 14, 14, is provided with a stepped horizontal partition 22, providing at one side a chain race 23, and the other side a series of pockets 24, having the forward side thereof downwardly and rearwardly inclined, as shown at 25, and the bottom and outside of said pocket carry a- `plurality of vsmaller bombs, procut away as shown, for a purpose hereinafter stated.

26, '26indicate suitable brackets secured leys 29, 29, also for a purpose to be hereinp after set forth. Secured rigidly upon the shaftY 27, immediately above and 1n mesh with the worm 13 on the shaft 11, is a worin gear 30 adapted to operate the sprocketwheels 28 when said shaft 11 is operated, as is evident. The brackets 26, 26 are so secured to the rear of the carriage 7, either by slidinglconnections, or hinges, that they, and the shaft 27 4carried thereby, may be raised in order to disengage the worm gear 30 from theworm v13, on the shaft 11, so that the' sprocket-wheels 28, 28, and the chains 31, 31 operated thereby, will not commence to operate until the machine is about to ily, and said worm gear 30, is caused to engage said worm 13.

v rlhe numerals 31, 31, indicate suitable sprocket chains adapted to slide in the chainraces 23, 23, in the'tubes 14, 14, the forward ends thereof being secured in the Y reels 20,20, and wound thereon, and the rear ends thereof adapted to pass out of the rear ends of said tubes 14, 14, and over the sprocket wheels 28, 28, and down over the idler pulleys 29, 29. Secured on each chain at a predetermined'point is a finger 32. Pivoted on the upper step of the partition 22 to theA rear of each pocket 24 is a trigger 33`- having rollersin yeach end thereof, one end ofv said trigger beingadapted to project into the pocket 24 toward the inclined side thereof,` and the opposite end to project over the chain race 23 and slightly above the chain therein, said ,trigger being adapted to be operated by the linger 32 on said chain, forl a.' purpose hereinafter set forth.v The chains 31, 31, in addition to providing means for automatically dropping the bombs are also a distance gager, thatis, they are `provided with a scale indicating milesand fractions thereof, whereby the length of chain to vbe wound upon the reels topermitthe torpedo to travel a given distance Abefe'wre the dropping of bombs is to be commenced, is ascertained bythe register of such indicated point upon the chain with the rear end of the'tube 1 4.

The numerals 34, 34,' indicate bombs, which vI call the motherbombs, because they vided with goose-neck ends 35 adapted to `be `carried by my aerialtorpedo. The ends known as a blind surprise.

' 35 of the bombs are set through the sides of the tubes 14, 14, into the pockets 24,24, and rest against the downwardly inclined shown in- Figs. 3 and 4. The triggers 33 are held in position, against accidental displacement, bythe weight of the bombs resting on the ends thereof,.and will not be shifted until operated by the trips or ngers 32 carried by the chains 31, as is apparent.

34 indicates a guard hinged to the side of the tubes and is for the purpose of preventing the bombs being accidentally removed or displaced from the positions in the said pockets.

r1`he operation of the device is as follows: rThe-,distance of the points, 'at which the bombs are to be dropped, from the starting point having beenv ascertained, the chains are wound upon the reels 20, 20, until the fingers 32 carried thereby are in a predetermined position. The bombs are then placed in proper position in the pockets 24 and are releasably held therein by the triggers 33, and the guards 34 set to prevent displacement thereof. The device is then aimed at the object to be attacked, and the motive power started, when the device, loaded with its bombs, will rise and fly toward rits destination. As the propeller shaft 11 revolves it will, of course, operate the shaft 27, geared therewith, by means of the worm 13 and gear 30, and the sprocket-gears 28, 28, carioo ried thereby. As the gears 28 rotate, they v same manner as the device continues its" flight, until all the bombs have been dis-y posed of, as is apparent. The sprocket chain as it is withdrawn from the reels by the` l l sprocket gears, passes down over the idler pulleys and is thereby prevented from contacting with thek propeller, as is evident,v

It is understood that I do not coninemy.-

self to the precise structure herein shown,

as it is evident that changes and modications may be made therein, without departinfrom the spirit of my invention.

he said air torpedo has one great secret of far more importance than those given above that should only be `given outto the Commander in Chief of the Army. This is' Jtion therewith Having thus described my invention, what 1- claim is:

1. An aerial torpedo having in combination therewith a bomb-carrier arranged longitudinally thereof, a plurality of bombholding receptacles in said carrier each having a downwardly inclined side, means for releasably holding bombs in position against said inclined sides, and means for automatically releasing said bombs from said receptacles at predetermined intervals.

2. An aerial torpedo having in combination therewith a longitudinally arranged bomb-carrying device having a series of bomb-holding-receptacles therein, said receptacles being provided with bomb supporting mechanisms, adapted in conjunction with the sides of said receptacles to releasably hold a bomb in position therein, and means carried by said bomb-carrying device adapted to engage and actuate said bomb supporting mechanism to automatically release the bomb and permit the same to drop from said bomb-carrying device.

8. An aerial torpedo having in combinalongitudinally arranged bomb-carrying devices having a series of bomb-holding receptacles therein, each of said receptacles having its forward side downwardly and rearwardly inclined and open at its bottom, said receptacles being provided with bomb supporting mechanisms adapted, in conjunction with said inclined sides, to releasably support and hold a bomb in position therein, and means carried by said bomb-carrying devices adapted to engage and positively actuate said bomb supporting mechanisms to automatically release the bombs and permit the same to drop from the devices.

4. An aerial torpedo having in combination therewith a propelling mechanism, a longitudinally arranged4 bomb-carrying device having a series of bomb-holding receptacles therein, each of said receptacles having its forward side rearwardly and downwardly inclined and open at its bottom and provided with a bomb-holding and supporting mechanism, adapted, in conjunction with said inclined side, to releasably hold a bomb in position therein, and means carried by said bomb-carrying device and operated from saidpropelling mechanism, adapted to 'engage and positively actuate said bomb-supporting mechanisms to automatically release the bombs and permit the same to drop from the device.

5. An aerial torpedo having in combina-- tion therewith a carriage, a longitudinally arranged bomb-carrying device located at each side of said carriageand secured thereto to the outside thereof, a sei'ies of bombholding receptacles in said bomb-carrying devices, each of said receptacles having its forward side downwardly and rearwardly inclined and open at its bottom, and provided witha bomb-holding and supporting trigger adapted, in conjunction with said inclined side, to releasably hold and support a bomb in position in said receptacle, and a longitudinally operating trigger-actuating mechanism carried by said bomb-carrying devices adapted to engage said bombholding and supporting triggers to positively actuate the same to automatically release the bombs and permit the same to drop from the devices.

6. An aerial torpedo having in combination therewith a carriage and torpedo pippelling mechanism carried thereby, a longitudinally arranged bomb-carrier located at each side of said carriage and secured thereto to the outside thereof, a series of bombholding receptacles arranged in said carriers, each of said receptacles having its forward side rearwardly and downwardly inclined and its bottom and outer side open, longitudinally operating releasing devices carried by said bomb-carriers, bomb-holding and supporting triggers mounted adjacent to each receptacle and-having one end projecting into said receptacle and its opposite end lying in the path of said longitudinally operating releasing devices, whereby said triggers are engaged and positively actuated to automatically release the bombs and permit the same to drop from the carriers.

7. An aerial torpedo having in combination therewith a longitudinally arranged bomb-carrying device having a series of bomb-holding receptacles therein having their bottoms and one oftheir outer sides open, each of said receptacles being pro-`- side thereof, to releasably hold a bomb in?4 position therein, and means carried by said bomb-carrying device adapted to engage and positively actuate said bomb supporting and holding mechanisms to automatically release the bombs and permit the same to drop from said bomb-carrying device, and a reel located at the forward end of said bombcarrying device upon which said trigger engaging means is adapted to be wound prior to the starting of the torpedo.

8. An aerial torpedo having in combination therewith a longitudinally arranged bombcarrying device having a series of bomb-holding receptacles therein with open bottoms, each'of said receptacles being provided with bomb-supporting and holding mechanism, a reel at the forward end of said bomb-carrying device, and a longitudinally operating mechanism adapted to be Wound upon said reel before the starting of the torpedo, said longitudinally operating mechanism being adapted to be unwound from said reel to engage and positively actuate -the bomb -holding and supporting mechanism to release the bomb and permit the same to drop from the device, and means for]L unwinding said mechanism. Jfrom said ree 9. An aerial torpedo having in combina- 'tion therewith a longitudinally arranged,

bomb-carrier liavilng a series of bomb-holding receptaclestherein with open bottoms, pivotally mounted' bomb-holding and supporting triggers adapted to releasably hold a bomb in each of said receptacles, a reel at the forward end of said bomb-carrier,

JOSEPH M. SALADINER.

Witnesses: v 5

JAMES L. CRAWFORD, Cms. L. GRIESBAUER. 

